Loving You
by FlakJacket
Summary: Severus Snape meets up with someone long forgotten, a former Death Eater, and together they must stop Voldemort one last time.
1. Unlikely Hero

Author's Note: This story takes place five years before the arrival  
  
of Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, and Hermione Granger.  
  
"SLYTHERIN!" shouted the tattered Sorting Hat. Alexis Zarinsky got  
  
up quickly and sat down at the Slytherin table amongst their cheers.  
  
Since her name was the last on the list, the Start-of-Term feast  
  
immediately began; it was a smorgasbord of wonderful food, but  
  
before she realized it, the feast had ended, and she was departing  
  
for the Slytherin dungeon. Before she fell asleep, however, her  
  
last thought was, 'What will happen tomorrow?'  
  
* * *  
  
The following day turned out to be quite interesting;  
  
Alexis already knew a few spells from home, having come from a  
  
wizard house, but she was still just as eager to learn as the next  
  
student. Each class was more and more interesting than the last,  
  
(with the exception of Magical History,) but her favorites by far  
  
were Potions and Transfiguration. Although she hadn't taken an  
  
exceptional liking to either of the teachers of those subjects,  
  
Snape and McGonagall, she still liked them to some extent. Her  
  
entire semester progressed without a hitch, and she was doing  
  
exceptionally well in all of her classes. As a matter of fact, she  
  
did well up until her third year at Hogwarts.  
  
That's when she was Branded.  
  
* * *  
  
Professor Severus Snape rarely took any interest in his  
  
students unless they were Slytherins who did well in his class; one  
  
of those students happened to be Alexis Zarinsky. She had been  
  
doing progressively better with every year, achieving more in her  
  
first three years than some of his students would ever achieve in  
  
their seven years of experience. But when Zarinsky came back from  
  
Christmas break something seemed very wrong with her. Snape himself  
  
hardly cared, but what bothered him was that her grade was suffering  
  
and it wasn't just in his class, either. It was in all her classes,  
  
as he'd found out, and she was acting highly unusual.  
  
Snape had never thought of her as a flamboyant  
  
personality, but she was colorful to say the least; she always  
  
dressed in robes that basically had 'original' slapped all over it.   
  
And Zarinsky herself was an incredibly polite, cheerful person who  
  
might have made it as a stand-up comedian had she been born a  
  
Muggle. Naturally, he tolerated none of her nonsense in class, but  
  
every once in a while he'd hear a good joke from her general  
  
direction of the room. Although he never smiled at them, once she  
  
said something that almost made his lips curl, but somehow he  
  
managed to refrain.  
  
The person that came back from break, however, was  
  
someone completely different; Alexis Zarinsky was no longer a  
  
happy-go-lucky girl who loved life.   
  
She loathed it.  
  
And Snape could not figure out why.  
  
Alexis Zarinsky sat by herself at the Slytherin table,  
  
plotting new ideas in the back of her head. She was clothed in  
  
designer black robes, her new color of choice, and she also wore a  
  
sneer on her face that projected loathing for the world and others  
  
around her. Anyone that looked her directly in the eye would have  
  
said she looked "dodgy" or "suspicious." Those who knew her best  
  
simply characterized her as "temperamental" and "proud." Either  
  
way, she was someone not to be messed with, and half the Slytherins  
  
did their best to avoid her. The other half talked to her only of  
  
schemes and plots to get the Gryffindors or other things.  
  
* * *  
  
It was Christmas break, in the middle of her fourth  
  
year, and she sat alone at the Slytherin table; the rest of the  
  
Slytherins were at their respective homes with their families.   
  
Severus Snape observed her morosely; her grades had picked back up  
  
again, but Alexis Zarinsky remained the unhappiest person he'd ever  
  
met. She sighed as she picked at her food; the Christmas feast was  
  
tonight, and Snape wondered if she would even show up.  
  
Suddenly Snape felt an angry burning sensation on his  
  
arm and he grabbed it painfully, grimacing slightly so as not to  
  
show anything to the outside world. Luckily practically no one was  
  
in the Great Hall with the exception of himself, Zarinsky, and a few  
  
other teachers. But what he saw in Zarinsky almost made his stomach  
  
turn; she was grabbing her own forearm in pain, her grimace a  
  
reflection of his. Ignoring the throbbing pain, he immediately  
  
stood up and strode to her, grabbed her by the robes, and dragged  
  
her out of the hall. "Professor Snape!" she said, "What're you  
  
doing?!" The moment they were out of sight, he grabbed her arm and  
  
ripped the sleeve back to reveal a black, burning Dark Mark on her  
  
arm. His eyes fell on it with the utmost distaste and fury,  
  
"Explain," he snarled.  
  
She looked down at the stone floor, "I don't believe  
  
the answer is lying on the floor, Miss Zarinsky. Look at me when I  
  
address you!" he snapped. She looked up and he noticed she was  
  
fearful of him, "You want to know about this?" she said, holding up  
  
her arm. "Why do you think I've been so miserable since my third  
  
year? I was Branded!" she hissed, "I was Branded without a choice!   
  
My family is a bunch of Death Eaters! Anything you can do to help  
  
me? No!" Immediately she stormed off to her room, but Snape caught  
  
her by the arm, "Don't you talk to me that way! I am your Potions  
  
Master!" he snapped. "Let go of me you damn Death Eater!" she  
  
hissed, shooting daggers at him with her eyes. He released her arm,  
  
"What did you say?"  
  
"You're a Death Eater! I saw you grab your arm in the  
  
Hall! You're just like the rest of them! Well go report to  
  
Voldemort's inner circle and tell them I don't want to be one of his  
  
little rats! Damn the lot of you!" she whispered. Instantly she  
  
was running to the dungeon before he could react; for a moment he  
  
was silent, then he raged after her. "Miss Zarinsky come back  
  
here!" he roared, but she ran undeterred to her room. Soon it was a  
  
race to see who would get there first; unfortunately for Snape,  
  
Zarinsky won. She turned back to him, staring at him through her  
  
doorway, "Don't you close that door!" he shouted, striding at her  
  
with a look that said "Death." She smiled at him curtly, then  
  
slammed it shut as hard as she possibly could.  
  
It was unfortunate for Snape that she warded her door  
  
with about seven different spells, and there was hardly a thing he  
  
could do about it, what with her being a Prefect. So he waited  
  
until Christmas dinner, hoping that she would show up so he could  
  
give her the ass-chewing of the century. For fifteen minutes, she  
  
did not show, and then, by some unexpected turn of events, she  
  
showed up; Snape personally suspected that Dumbledore had something  
  
to do with it. She seated herself at the end of the table, far away  
  
from anyone else, although there was only one table to sit at this  
  
Christmas since there were so few students and faculty.   
  
Snape immediately stood up and strode down to her end  
  
of the table, with an intent, angry look on his face. "Miss  
  
Zarinsky, may I see you in the hall for a moment?" he said through  
  
gritted teeth. She looked up at him, "No you may not. I've just  
  
received word that this may be my last Christmas " A few heads  
  
turned toward her, "Yes, let's talk in the hall," she said, getting  
  
up and following him out. A moment later, he was facing her with  
  
pure loathing, malice, and hatred. "This may be my last Christmas.   
  
Ever," she said, "so if you're going to punish me, I'd rather you do  
  
it after the dinner than during as this shall be my last Christmas  
  
feast." "What on Earth are you blabbering about?" he snarled  
  
angrily. She looked up at him with a darkened gaze, "I've just  
  
received word from Voldemort that I am to take part in a Raid  
  
tonight. So unless you have another clever idea, I suggest you  
  
leave me alone."  
  
He almost felt like slapping her for that last remark,  
  
but kept his temper under control, "And why would this be your last  
  
Christmas ever?" he retorted. "Because this isn't one of the usual  
  
Death Eater Raids," she snapped. Realization dawned on his face,  
  
"Yes, you know what it is I speak of," she hissed, "one of the  
  
kamikaze raids. I am to lead the party, without question. We all  
  
know what that means. First one in, last one to leave; my death  
  
certificate is practically being signed as we speak." He avoided  
  
her gaze for a moment, thinking. "There's no way out of it," she  
  
replied, "I will die, and everyone will think me a Death Eater when  
  
word has spread. Everyone will be interrogated, including you," she  
  
said, stabbing his chest sharply with an index finger. A thousand  
  
ideas ran through his head, but none of them were any good; there  
  
was no way to get out of this one.  
  
Midnight crept past ever so slowly, but still no signal  
  
came from the grate of the fireplace in Alexis Zarinsky's room. A  
  
green fire would ignite, followed by the head of Voldemort himself  
  
popping through it; but so far, the night had led to nothing. It  
  
almost made her wonder what was taking so long, mostly because she  
  
wanted this to be quick. Instead, the hours kept on and on, until  
  
it was three o'clock in the morning; he was four hours overdue.   
  
Suddenly, a fire ignited, but it was not green; the head of Severus  
  
Snape popped in, and it was very bloody and bruised. "Professor!"  
  
she whispered, "What's happened?" "Climb through the fire and get  
  
here, into my chambers," he grunted, "I need your assistance."  
  
Without a second thought she followed the head through  
  
the grate and back into his private room. She emerged from the  
  
fireplace and dusted off her robes quickly, then realized that Snape  
  
himself was leaning against the mantelpiece right next to her. He  
  
looked incredibly beaten, and his arm looked broken; "Professor what  
  
happened?" she whispered, fearing the worst. "I took your place at  
  
the Raid," he replied steadily, shifting his weight slightly, "and I  
  
have no desire to go to the Hospital Wing. So if you could kindly  
  
help me " "Of course," she said, instantly at his side and helping  
  
him to his bed, which he sat on promptly. "Why did you do this?"  
  
she asked, pulling out her wand, "You could have been killed." As  
  
soon as her wand was out, spells began flying; his arm healed, and  
  
he stopped bleeding.  
  
"You could have been killed as well," he replied, "and  
  
I couldn't stand the idea of a student being killed. I had to do  
  
something, as much as you don't deserve it." He winced as she  
  
dabbed at his eye with something she'd Transfigured from her pocket;  
  
but afterward, his eye felt better. "Well," she said, testing his  
  
arm slightly; it had healed completely. "I don't appreciate it,"  
  
she snapped, "you must have gotten a high and mighty feeling from  
  
doing that, but don't let it go to your head, buster." He looked up  
  
at her immediately, "What?" She put her hands on her hips, looking  
  
very put-out, "I don't need anybody to save me. I'm perfectly  
  
content with getting myself killed, and I don't need a man to save  
  
me!" He stood up abruptly, winced from the pain, "You think this is  
  
about you?!"  
  
"You just said you were saving me on purpose! Who else  
  
could it be about?!" she retorted, Transfiguring the stinging  
  
solution back into an object that she put in her pocket. "I'm  
  
sorry, but the entire world doesn't revolve around you," he snapped.  
  
She let out an angry noise, and hit him in the stomach, knocking  
  
him onto the bed; he groaned from the bruises on his stomach.   
  
"Serves you right!" she squeaked, stomping out of the room, down the  
  
hall, and toward her own chambers without a second thought. He sat  
  
on the bed for a moment, not sure what to think, then climbed under  
  
the bedcovers, and fell into a confused slumber. 


	2. Favors and Frivolities

The next morning the Daily Prophet screamed of the  
  
night raid. Alexis looked up at the High Table where Snape sat, a  
  
small cut over his left eye, and looking very worn out. As much as  
  
Alexis hated to admit it, Snape had done her a favor...and she  
  
couldn't ignore it. Last night she had acted quite rudely; she  
  
should have thanked him instead of punching him, but the idea of  
  
someone saving her, Alexis Zarinsky...it was too much to handle.   
  
She had never needed help from anybody, and she certainly didn't  
  
need any now; she had grown used to the idea of her death for months  
  
now, and just when she thought it would be all over...he came into  
  
it. 'Damn him,' she thought morosely, 'why can't he just stay out  
  
of it? It's my own bloody business...'  
  
She stabbed at her eggs and bacon idly, then began to  
  
think about the situation from a new perspective; she looked up at  
  
the High Table, observing Snape carefully. He hadn't looked at her  
  
once since breakfast had started; had only wolfed down just about  
  
half of the entire table, albeit with dignity. 'He couldn't be that  
  
much older than me,' she thought silently, 'ten years at the most.   
  
But he's already been around the block much more than I have. I  
  
should probably listen to him, but I'm so stubborn I doubt I can.'   
  
She almost laughed aloud thinking of it; the reason why Voldemort  
  
liked her was because of her ability to follow orders, but here she  
  
was, thinking about her stubbornness.  
  
Then another thought came upon her; 'What if he can  
  
help me? What if I can defeat Voldemort while he's still weak?' she  
  
thought, eating her eggs slowly. Finally she stopped eating,  
  
thinking out the plan fully, 'It'd be very dangerous, but my life is  
  
in jeopardy as it is. If I can just take advantage of Voldemort  
  
during one of the times when he's on an ego trip, if I can just get  
  
better at spells, if I can learn the Killing Curse...' If, if,  
  
if...if she could get Snape to help her. She looked back up at the  
  
High Table; Snape noticed her and stared back menacingly, but she  
  
refused to look away, as most students never did. After a minute he  
  
finally scowled and looked away, irritated by her gaze; 'If I can  
  
get Snape to help me...' she thought.  
  
Yeah.  
  
Sure.  
  
And people in the desert want water.  
  
That evening Alexis went down to the dungeons; Snape  
  
was almost always down here grading papers, scowling at the work of  
  
bad students. She opened the door to the Potions classroom to  
  
discover it was empty, so she sat down at one of the student desks  
  
and waited. Ten minutes passed before she heard his familiar stride  
  
approaching from the direction of the stone staircase. He didn't  
  
even bother looking at the student desks as he whisked past and went  
  
directly to his own desk; she cleared her throat, and he looked up,  
  
"Miss Zarinsky, what a...pleasant, surprise. Thanks to you I now  
  
have one more bruise on my stomach." She felt a pang of guilt at  
  
that jibe, "And I do apologize for that, sir. It was a moment of  
  
anger, for which I have no excuse." Snape looked surprised at such  
  
a well put together response, "Apology accepted." "I do, however,"  
  
she said, standing up and looking at the Potions cabinets with  
  
sudden interest, "have a favor to ask of you."  
  
"And what favor can a Potions Master with a huge head  
  
who only thinks about saving you possibly do?" he said vindictively.  
  
She tensed slightly, "I deserved that." 'Damn right you did,'  
  
thought Snape nastily, "What is it?" She turned to him, "I want you  
  
to...I mean....I would like for you to help me." "Help you how?" he  
  
said, standing up and shuffling his papers, putting them into his  
  
desk drawers. "I'm well aware of my ill behavior, Professor," she  
  
said tartly, "please don't rub it in." He looked up at her, slight  
  
surprise just barely readable on his face, "I'm glad to see you  
  
noticed." Alexis kept a smile to herself, "I pick up on behavioral  
  
properties quite easily. Back to the subject at hand.  
  
"I was thinking that perhaps you could assist me in  
  
the...hastening of my learning process." "In what way?" he said  
  
suspiciously. "Extra lessons," she replied, "to...protect me from  
  
Voldemort." She almost said, 'Kill Voldemort' but held her tongue;  
  
he would never help her if he knew of her rash idea. "You mean as  
  
in spells, charms, potions, etcetera?" he said smoothly. "Indeed,"  
  
she said, "and you're the only person who can really help me."   
  
Snape almost blinked at that sentence; he had never been in an  
  
obligatory position such as this; had never felt compelled to help  
  
anyone...until now, for some strange reason. "And you want lessons  
  
from me, do you?" said Snape quizzically, "And why me? Why not  
  
someone else? Don't you dislike your greasy, nasty old Potions   
  
Master?"  
  
"No," she said, "I like you. You're my favorite  
  
teacher, actually. I think it's the sarcasm mixed with the  
  
brainpower; I always did get a kick out of smart guys," she replied,  
  
catching him off-guard. "And besides," she added, "you don't look  
  
that old. I doubt you're a decade older than me." 'Excuse me,' he  
  
thought, 'less than a decade.' "I won't help you unless you're  
  
serious," he said. "I am," she replied, "did I come across as   
  
otherwise?"  
  
* * *  
  
It was the night of their last lesson; tomorrow, Alexis  
  
would graduate and leave Hogwarts forever...and enter Voldemort's  
  
full power. Snape was uncomfortably aware of this fact as the last  
  
half of their lesson approached; he could only hope that she would  
  
be fully able to defend herself when the time came.  
  
As Alexis finished practicing her Furnunculus Charm,  
  
Snape said, "Hurry it up! I still have to test you!" She sped  
  
through her last set of spells quickly as Snape began to pace. He  
  
had decided a few weeks ago that the best way to test her would be  
  
via a one-on-one duel between them. She would have to go through  
  
all the important charms and spells she had learned, particularly  
  
some of the better hexes he knew of. Finally, she wrapped up her  
  
charms, then turned to him, "Okay. I'm ready." "Good," he said,  
  
"now stand at that end of the room."  
  
They stood at the optimal twelve paces away, raised  
  
their wands, and began to duel. Luckily they had locked up all the  
  
tables and chairs so none of the furniture would be blown to bits as  
  
spells flew across the room. At first Snape dominated the duel,  
  
disarming Alexis until she managed to Summon her wand and get a grip  
  
on the situation. For at least ten minutes they went through spell  
  
after spell, until Alexis had completed the list of spells Snape had  
  
assigned for her to use in the duel. Alexis leaned against the wall  
  
with exhaustion, sweat trickling down her forehead, "How did I do?"  
  
she asked, gasping for breath. 'Surprisingly well,' he thought, but  
  
didn't say it. "You weren't horrible, but you weren't great  
  
either," he said, "you certainly need a lot of work. I suggest you  
  
find some way to practice during the evenings. Understood?"  
  
She nodded heavily, "Understood." "Alright then," he  
  
said, looking up at the clock, "lesson over." She almost did a  
  
double take; she hadn't expected it to end so quickly. He began  
  
gathering his things, opened the door to his office, almost shut it,  
  
when, "Professor...can we...talk?" He looked up, "About what?" She  
  
shrugged, "I don't know. About...things." "If you insist," he  
  
said, leaving the door open. A minute later she was sitting down in  
  
his office, observing the different jars of stuff on his shelves.   
  
"You have an interesting office," she said, Conjuring a bottle of  
  
water and sucking it down quickly. "Most people would disagree," he  
  
said, sitting down at his desk and pulling out a stack of papers.   
  
"How do you mean?" she asked. "Most people find it gross or  
  
disgusting; they never bother looking at it for what it really is."   
  
"That's kind of like how it is with people," she said quietly. The  
  
full gist of that statement sank in for a minute or so until Alexis  
  
said, "So...is it...interesting, being a teacher?"  
  
He sat back, looking at his stack of papers waiting to  
  
be graded with disdain, "Sometimes. At times like these, no." "If  
  
you want me to leave, I can," she said. "That's not what I meant  
  
and you know it," he said, "I just dislike grading papers."   
  
"Probably because they're all wrong," she said, "the lot of them  
  
being as stupid as they...I should keep quiet," she added hastily.   
  
He smiled slightly, "Surprisingly, you shouldn't. You rarely have  
  
errors on your papers, for which I am grateful. Saves me red ink."   
  
"Did you just complement me, sir?" she asked. "Of course not," he  
  
said, returning to his papers. "Too bad," she said, "a complement  
  
from you would be worth its' weight in gold." "I didn't allow you  
  
in here just so you could tell me what you think of me," he said  
  
quickly. "I know," she said, "I'm sorry." "Fine," he said, pulling  
  
Neville Longbottom's paper out of the stack and grading it with  
  
gusto. "Sir," she said, after a moment, "may I tell you what I  
  
think of you?" He hesitated, then, "Please do. You have me on a  
  
knife's edge."  
  
She ignored his sarcasm, taking a deep breath, "I just  
  
wanted you to know that I...appreciate the help you've given me over  
  
the past few years. I know you could have spent your time doing  
  
something better, like giving Harry Potter a detention, but you  
  
chose to help me instead. I can't ignore that...much less forget  
  
it." Snape felt himself growing almost embarrassed; rarely did  
  
anyone ever thank him for anything he did, much less complement him  
  
so well. "I also wanted to tell you that...I've grown to like you  
  
over the past few years." "Well thank you Miss Zarinsky..." "No,"  
  
she said, "I like you very, very much." For once Snape didn't have  
  
to be told exactly what type of 'like' she was referring to; in  
  
about one second he went from pleased with himself to extreme  
  
embarrassment, growing uncomfortably aware of what she had just  
  
said. He was also aware of the fact that he had just written a 'T'  
  
on Neville Longbottom's paper instead of an 'F.'  
  
"Miss Zarinsky perhaps it's time for you to go. It's  
  
getting late and I..." "Just one more thing," she said, standing up  
  
to leave, bravely unembarrassed of her feelings. "If you had never  
  
been my teacher, and I had never been your student, would you...?"   
  
For a minute he was silent, then, "No." She stiffened, but enough  
  
that only she noticed it, "Thank you for answering my question.   
  
I'll see you tomorrow at graduation." He nodded, unable to look at  
  
her as she left, although her eyes were boring into him; he thought  
  
she had gone, but when he looked up she was standing just outside  
  
the door. "Goodnight, Professor," she said. He straightened,  
  
"Goodnight, Miss Zarinsky."  
  
The door shut.  
  
Snape put his head down on the desk, feeling the cold wood against  
  
his head, wondering if he had just done the right thing. 


	3. Things Change

Snape did not see Alexis Zarinsky again until five  
  
years later when he was sitting at the High Table, wistfully hoping  
  
for the seventh year graduation to come so he could get stupid  
  
Potter, Weasley, and Granger out of his class. "A few start-of-term  
  
announcements," said Dumbledore, "first years are to take note that  
  
the Forbidden Forest is one hundred percent off limits. And a few  
  
of our older students might want to take note of that as well.   
  
Also, Mr. Filch, our caretaker, wanted me to announce that the usual  
  
items are off-limits in the corridor, such as Fanged Frisbees, and  
  
any product of the Weasley jokeshop." A few of the students  
  
giggled, particularly those that knew Fred and George Weasley from  
  
years past. Snape only grimaced, thinking of the havoc they had   
  
caused.  
  
"And finally, I would like to introduce our new Defense  
  
Against the Dark Arts teacher, Professor Zarinsky!" said Dumbledore,  
  
turning to her slightly. She smiled and gave the students a little  
  
wave; they responded with polite applause, although a few of the  
  
older male students clapped particularly hard, as Alexis had grown  
  
into an attractive brunette. "And now," said Dumbledore, "let's  
  
eat!" He clapped his hands and the food appeared; everyone ate  
  
gratefully, except for Hermione Granger, who only complained about  
  
the work of the house elves.  
  
Snape ate in silence, glancing sideways at Alexis every  
  
once in a while, somewhat wishing Dumbledore wasn't sitting between  
  
them, somewhat wishing he wasn't thinking about her at all. He  
  
noticed a few of the groups of sixth and seventh year boys were  
  
looking at her with interest, although it was clearly not for her  
  
brains. 'What are you morons looking at...' he thought nastily,  
  
'...you don't even have a chance with her.' He caught himself; what  
  
the hell was he thinking that for? 'Fool,' he thought, 'as if you  
  
have a chance either.' The other half of him responded, 'As if I  
  
need a chance. I don't need anybody.' 'Still, if you would just  
  
clean up a bit...' 'No, she's a former student.' 'So what?   
  
McGonagall married a former student back when she was in her  
  
twenties. They were together for years until he finally died.'   
  
'Doesn't matter. She wasn't a greasy old git like you.' 'Well she  
  
was no looker, to be sure...'  
  
Snape continued his internal argument for some time  
  
until Dumbledore and a few other teachers began to leave, headed for  
  
bed. Snape suddenly realized that he and Alexis were the only two  
  
left at the table, and he quickly stood up to leave. Unfortunately,  
  
she also stood up and followed him out of the hall, "Professor  
  
Snape," she said, once they were well away from the students. He  
  
turned, "Yes, Professor Zarinsky?" he said coldly. She gave him an  
  
incredibly warm, happy hug that made him redden with embarrassment,  
  
"How are you?" "I...I'm fine," he said, glad she had waited to do  
  
that outside of the Great Hall. "I just haven't seen you in so  
  
long," she said, "and things have changed so much since Voldemort   
  
fell..."  
  
"Yes, well, things do change, don't they?" he said.   
  
She smiled, "They most certainly do! But you haven't, it seems!   
  
You don't look a day older since the day I first met you!" He felt  
  
unsure how to react, "Ah, yes, thank you." "Well?" she said,  
  
waiting. "Er..." he said, now completely unsure of what to say.   
  
"Aren't you going to complement me too?" she asked, "I've changed a  
  
lot since I was here! I've grown up for goodness' sake!" He tried  
  
not to look at her physical features, mostly because it embarrassed  
  
him, "Yes you've changed as well." She smiled, "It's so hard to  
  
hang a complement from you. But that's alright." He shrugged,  
  
"I...sorry." "But an apology! Now that is something else!" she  
  
said, "Ah, Professor. I'm so glad to be back here. I feel so happy  
  
with Voldemort gone, so alive again. Nothing can put me down!   
  
Anyway, I'll see you around. I have to go get ready for bed.   
  
Goodnight!"  
  
He watched her walk away, "Goodnight," he said,  
  
somewhat wishing he was going with her, then slapping himself  
  
mentally, 'Get a grip, fool,' he thought, stomping off to bed.  
  
* * *  
  
That night, Severus dreamt many strange things, but the  
  
strangest of all was his dream of himself. He dreamt he looked  
  
completely different, no longer the greasy, sallow skinned git that  
  
everyone thought he was. He dreamt he was the handsome young man he  
  
had always wanted to be, just out of spite, just to show off, just  
  
to be...just to be different.  
  
He dreamt of how everyone should have seen him.  
  
His real self.  
  
* * *  
  
In the morning, Severus received a nasty shock; he was  
  
still just as pale and ugly as he had been the day before, and he  
  
hated himself for it. "Had to be born with a hooked nose and greasy  
  
hair, didn't you?" he said into the mirror. "I can't help it if you  
  
look that way," replied the mirror sourly, "besides, half of it is  
  
your personality." "Oh shut up," he growled, storming off to   
  
breakfast.  
  
At the High Table, Severus was surprised to see that  
  
Alexis had traded seats with McGonagall, and they were now seated  
  
together. "Good morning, Severus," said Alexis, eating her bacon  
  
and eggs with gusto. "Good morning, Professor Zarinsky," said  
  
Severus, quickly filling his plate. "Please call me Alexis," she  
  
said, "it sounds so much better than 'Professor Zarinsky.'" He said  
  
nothing, only began to eat, trying to concentrate on the morning's  
  
lesson plan. "So Severus," said Alexis, "have you decided who  
  
you're going with to the dance?" "To the what?" he said, spitting  
  
out his bacon. "The dance," she said, weren't you listening last  
  
night during the announcements? Dumbledore said they were going to  
  
have an official Hogwarts start-of-term ball to get everyone to know  
  
each other!"  
  
Severus groaned inwardly; leave it to Dumbledore to  
  
work him into a mess. "So," she said, "have you thought about who  
  
you want to go with yet?" she asked. He slid down in his seat about  
  
five inches, "Er...no." "Oh," she said, "well, I haven't thought  
  
about it yet either." It was quite clear to Severus what she wanted  
  
him to say, 'Would you like to go with me?' But he wouldn't  
  
ask...couldn't...he hated dances...loathed them... "You might want  
  
to consider Hagrid," said Severus, "I'm sure he'll be free."   
  
Alexis' face turned bright red, "Why you...you know perfectly  
  
well...I...you know what? I'd be better off! Now if you'll excuse  
  
me, I have work to do!" And she stormed away from the table.  
  
Severus only tried to ignore the odd stares he was  
  
getting from fellow faculty members; "What're you looking at?" he  
  
snapped at Professor Vector.  
  
* * *  
  
'Better off, eh?' he thought stormily as he prepared  
  
for his last Potions class of the day, 'Good luck dancing with that  
  
big oaf!' As class began, his mind wandered back constantly to  
  
Alexis' words, "Open your texts to Chapter 1, entitled 'Defense  
  
Against the-'" he stopped himself. Wrong subject. "'Seventh Year  
  
Potions and their Modern Practicalities'" he said, hoping no one  
  
noticed the slip. Unfortunately, the entire class did, and a few  
  
students giggled, having seen the little fiasco this morning, and  
  
assuming the worst, if not the funniest situation between their  
  
Potions Master and his colleague. "What are you laughing at, Mr.  
  
Weasley?" Weasley looked up at him innocently, "Nothing sir."   
  
"Five points from Gryffindor for excessive giggling!" snapped  
  
Severus, returning to his desk.  
  
The class didn't end quickly enough so far as Severus  
  
was concerned; he had made another Freudian slip later on by writing  
  
'1 Dash of Alexis' instead of '1 Dash of Alerwood' on the board.   
  
What made it worse was that Potter had been the one to point it out.  
  
He was really out of it. 'I need to sleep,' he thought, 'I just  
  
need to sleep it off.'  
  
But the dig about being a 'Greasy git' was really  
  
wearing on him. He stomped up to his quarters angrily and looked in  
  
the mirror, "Greasy git, eh? Fine! FINE!"  
  
And with that, Severus Snape went to work.  
  
* * *  
  
That evening, Snape did not appear for dinner, which  
  
Harry, Ron, and Hermione found odd. "I figured he'd show up and let  
  
that Zarinsky woman have it after she chewed him out this morning,"  
  
said Ron. "You don't know that she chewed him out," said Harry.   
  
"Yeah, but did you see how mad she looked? And Snape didn't look  
  
happy either," said Ron through a mouthful of treacle fudge.   
  
Hermione shrugged, "Either way, it's odd he's not here. He always  
  
shows up for dinner, no matter what." "Forget him," said Ron, "I'm  
  
more concerned about his homework than him."  
  
Just then, the doors to the Great Hall swung open, and  
  
in stepped a man that nobody in the Hall recognized. He did,  
  
however, stride to the High Table easily, almost as if he belonged  
  
there, and promptly sat down in Professor Snape's seat. "Oooh,  
  
Snape won't like that if ever he shows up for dinner," said Ron.   
  
"Am I right, Hermione?" asked Ron. Hermione, however, was too busy  
  
studying the new visitor, "He's a looker, isn't he?" said Parvati  
  
into her ear. They both giggled, blushed, then went back to eating.  
  
"Oh bugger," said Ron, "more girl stuff. Yuck."  
  
* * *  
  
Alexis couldn't even stutter out a sentence at  
  
McGonagall's statement of, "Dear me, he went all out, didn't he?"   
  
Severus didn't even look slightly alike to his old self, except for  
  
in the area of weight and height. His teeth were sparkling, almost  
  
painfully bright white, his hair was brown and short, and his robes  
  
were perfectly straight and black, without the slightest potion stain.  
  
And for the rest of dinner, Alexis could hardly stop  
  
looking at him; he was so...different. What had caused him to  
  
suddenly go crazy and do that? 'You did, you dope,' a part of her  
  
brain interjected, 'that comment about 'greasy git' pushed him over  
  
the edge. Now look what you've done!'  
  
Although she couldn't say she was entirely upset.  
  
A few minutes later, she got up to leave, wistfully  
  
thinking about 'accidentally' tripping and falling on top of him  
  
when she noticed he was following her out of the Great Hall. As  
  
soon as they were out of earshot, she turned, "Yes?" He leaned  
  
close to her, and for a moment she thought he would kiss her, when  
  
instead he said, "Never, ever, call me a greasy git ever again," and  
  
walked off to the dungeons. Her blood boiled angrily, and as soon  
  
as the door to the Potions classroom shut, she stormed down after  
  
him, opened the door, and shouted, "GREASY GIT!"  
  
She was taken completely by surprise when he appeared  
  
from behind the door, "I warned you," he snarled, slamming the door  
  
shut in her face. She clenched her fists angrily, "GAAH!"  
  
Severus listened to her angry retreating footsteps with  
  
pleasure, "Weren't expecting that, were you?" he said with a grin. 


	4. I'd Be Happy Just to Dance With You

The following day Severus was his normal self, and as  
  
far as the students were concerned, yesterday's dinner guest was  
  
still anonymous. If they found out who it was more than likely  
  
twenty of them would faint with shock. Cancel that, more like fifty.  
  
Severus headed down to the dungeons easily, feeling  
  
quite content with himself for pissing off Alexis more than anything  
  
else. There would be no Freudian slips today! Thankfully for him,  
  
the day passed quickly until lunchtime, and so far, it was going  
  
much better than expected. Slytherin was now up twenty points  
  
because of him, Gryffindor lagging behind sadly. He sat down  
  
contentedly, well aware of the fact that Alexis was glaring at him  
  
angrily. "What are you staring at?" he asked smoothly. "Nothing  
  
much," she snapped, returning to her plate.  
  
A minute later, however, Dumbledore stood up and  
  
interrupted everyone's conversations, "If I could have your  
  
attention, please. Thank you. This is a reminder that the dance,  
  
which will be taking place tonight, is still a required event.   
  
Everyone will be there, with no excuses accepted. It will start at  
  
eight o'clock and end at twelve, so please be ready by then. Thank  
  
you." He sat down quickly, and a few students clapped, just for  
  
kicks. Dumbledore nodded at them, smiling, with a twinkle in his  
  
eye, then turned to Severus, who had been giving him the, 'May I  
  
speak with you?' look. "Yes?" he asked. "Ah yes, sir, about that  
  
dance, I won't be able to..." "You'll be able to make it, Severus,"  
  
said Dumbledore quickly, "because I know those Potions papers can   
  
wait."  
  
Severus let out a sigh of frustration, "It's very  
  
important, sir, and I doubt I'll be missed at such an event as  
  
this..." "You would be missed, Severus," said Dumbledore, "by  
  
myself and...others." Severus gave him a strange look, but did not  
  
question the 'Others' part of that sentence. "No excuses will be  
  
accepted, Severus," said Dumbledore, "and you will not conduct  
  
grounds duty either. You will stay here, in this very room, for the  
  
entirety of the dance." Severus' face grew red, "But-!" "But  
  
nothing, Severus," said Dumbledore, "I'm afraid the conversation is  
  
finished, as my steak-and-kidney pie is looking particularly  
  
delicious at this moment in time."  
  
And with that, he began to eat.  
  
Severus tapped the table with his fingers; now what?   
  
He had been so sure Dumbledore would let him off; he had always been  
  
easy about it in the past, but not this year, for some reason. 'I  
  
could fake a sickness,' he thought in silence, 'or an injury. But  
  
Poppy would figure it out and throw me out of the hospital wing  
  
before you can say 'bludger accident.'' Severus got up and headed  
  
for the Staff Room, hoping to find some solace there.  
  
He found something much worse.  
  
Posted on the notice board (where he seldom looked) was  
  
a paper with "Special Events" across the top of it. "Oh no...!" he  
  
groaned, clutching the sides of his head in agony.  
  
Special Events  
  
Notice: These events will include ALL faculty members, regardless of  
  
person or task at hand.  
  
* Start-of-term Ball  
  
* Faculty/Student talent show  
  
* Faculty vs. Student Quidditch match  
  
* Christmas (Yule) Ball  
  
* More events posted later  
  
Severus felt as if his head were about to explode upon  
  
seeing the signature.  
  
Sincerely,  
  
Albus Dumbledore  
  
"DUMBLEDORE!" he shrieked, "GAH!"  
  
* * *  
  
That evening, Severus came up with a spectacular plan;  
  
he would go to the dance as his 'other' self, the self everyone had  
  
seen yesterday. No one would recognize him, so, theoretically, no  
  
one would bother him. As long as the students didn't figure it out,  
  
he could even do acrobatic tricks and no one would say anything to  
  
him later because they wouldn't recognize him.  
  
He almost pole-vaulted down the staircase with  
  
happiness; he wouldn't have to dance! Take that Dumbledore! Take  
  
that! Your orders aren't infallible! Ha!  
  
Upon arrival, everyone stared at him, thinking him to  
  
be the same stranger from the evening previous. "What's he doing  
  
here?" said Hermione blushingly. "Dunno," said Ron, "but he's  
  
starting to look familiar to me."  
  
Severus calmly went to the side of the Great Hall where  
  
a line of chairs were set up, clearly for the wallflowers. He sat  
  
down and Transfigured a book from his pocket, then began to read;  
  
unfortunately, the lit was rather dim, so he could barely see. His  
  
nose was buried in his book when suddenly he heard someone calling  
  
his name, "Severus!" He looked up to see Alexis Zarinsky totally  
  
blowing his plan; he made a desperate cutting of the throat gesture,  
  
'Shut up!' he mouthed angrily. "Oh Severus! Professor Snape!   
  
Severus!" she shouted louder. 'She's doing this on purpose,  
  
that...' "How are you?!" she shouted loudly, running to him in an  
  
instant and making a grand gesture of it. His face turned red with  
  
anger and embarrassment, "You're blowing my cover you fool!" he  
  
hissed between gritted teeth. Soon the entire student body was  
  
staring at him, and in an instant, he knew that everyone else knew  
  
it was him.  
  
Parvati Patil, Lavender Brown, Pansy Parkinson, and surprisingly,  
  
Hermione Granger, promptly passed out.  
  
Severus buried his head in his hands, his face  
  
reddening, "Why...did...you...do...that?" he growled through his  
  
fingers. "Because you had it coming!" she snapped, turning away  
  
from him and walking off to speak with McGonagall and Vector, who  
  
were laughing in a corner. Severus finally put his hands down at  
  
his sides, balling them into fists, and stormed out of the Great  
  
Hall, but not before a few of the female students in the room ran up  
  
to him and said, "Hi!" then ran giggling away.   
  
He slammed the doors shut behind him as he left.  
  
He was in the courtyard blasting bushes clear out of  
  
existence when he heard footsteps behind him; he turned to see  
  
Alexis standing there, and he narrowed his eyes at her angrily, "You  
  
have some nerve coming out here." "I know," she said, "especially  
  
since you're armed." He looked down at his wand, then turned and  
  
blasted another bush. "I'm sorry," she said finally, "I didn't  
  
think you'd be so embarrassed." "Well you thought wrong, didn't  
  
you? Now I'll have every female student in the school swooning at  
  
me just because you thought it'd be funny to blow my cover!" he  
  
snapped. She looked down and chuckled slightly, "That's a serious  
  
problem indeed." "It is!" he shouted, "I don't want anyone to...!"   
  
"See you for what you really are?" she interrupted, "And what a damn  
  
shame that would be. As it turns out, Professor Snape is really an  
  
incredibly attractive young man with a witty sense of humor and a  
  
smile. These would be misfortunes indeed."  
  
"Think I'm attractive, do you?" he snarled, "Too bad I  
  
don't look this way. Voria!" he said, the charm removing all of his  
  
looks. The old Severus Snape stood there instead, the new one  
  
vanishing into nothing, "It's all stupid!" he said, "It's all so  
  
very stupid! People think 'Oh, look at him, isn't he ugly!' but do  
  
they ever bother to actually stop and look? No! The only way  
  
people will ever stop and think is if he's a looker, that's all!   
  
Why do you think I choose to look this way? Because I know that  
  
people are shallow and stupid! Anyone would have a go at me if I  
  
looked the way I usually do, so I look like this on purpose!"  
  
Suddenly it became clear to Alexis, "You weren't...your  
  
normal appearance is a spell?" "Of course!" he said, as if it were  
  
the most obvious thing in the world. She put her hands on her hips,  
  
"You mean to tell me that the entire time your hair hasn't really  
  
been greasy, your skin hasn't really been sallow, and your teeth  
  
haven't really been yellow?" "Of course not!" he said, "Why would I  
  
let all that get so out of control?" He was expecting a whole line  
  
of insults, curses, even hexes from her, but instead she said,  
  
"You are the most selfish man I have ever met."  
  
And with that, she retreated into the castle, never  
  
looking back once. Severus looked after her with anger,  
  
frustration, and a whole mix of emotions he was still trying to  
  
grasp. "She's wrong, you know," said a voice behind him. He almost  
  
jumped, but maintained his composure as he turned to see Dumbledore  
  
standing there, clearly enjoying a stroll in the courtyard. Severus  
  
looked at him angrily, "In what way? Everyone knows I'm selfish."   
  
"I beg to differ," said Dumbledore, approaching him carefully, "I  
  
think you're the most selfless man I've ever met." "Then clearly  
  
you were misinformed," said Severus, turning away to stare  
  
sightlessly at some bushes.  
  
"When are you going to stop being such an ass?" said  
  
Dumbledore. Severus did a double take; Dumbledore had never cursed  
  
in his presence before. "Excuse me?" said Severus angrily. "Excuse  
  
you," said Dumbledore, a slight twinkle in his eye, "you've been  
  
beating yourself up for far too long, my dear friend. In all the  
  
years that we've known each other, I've never known you to be so  
  
rough on yourself as you have been since Miss Zarinsky graduated.   
  
And I think I know why." "Don't say it, Albus," said Severus  
  
softly, "please don't."  
  
"You need to hear it, Severus," said Dumbledore, "now  
  
more than ever." For a moment, they were both silent, Severus  
  
trying to shut off his ears as Dumbledore began to speak, "You love  
  
her, Severus. You love her and you're pushing her away because you  
  
don't want her to get hurt." "No I don't," he said, gritting his  
  
teeth, "I don't love anyone." "Why are you still kicking yourself?"  
  
said Dumbledore, "Voldemort is gone, you are no longer a spy or a  
  
Death Eater. You're a normal citizen of England. You're entitled  
  
to lead a normal life like the rest of us. Instead you choose to be  
  
this way. And that's the part I don't understand; you choose to  
  
lead this life. It wasn't forced on you by any means."  
  
"Voldemort forced it on me!" snarled Severus, suddenly  
  
angrier at Dumbledore than he had been in his entire life. "Do you  
  
know what it's like being born into a family of Death Eaters? Do  
  
you?!" Dumbledore was silent, "I was wrong to say that, Severus. I  
  
apologize. I don't know what it's like." Severus felt his muscles  
  
relax, "Damn right you don't." For another minute there was  
  
silence, then, "I'll go now," said Dumbledore, "but before I do, I  
  
want you to seriously consider...your future possibilities.   
  
Goodnight, Severus." "Goodnight, Albus," he replied tartly, unable  
  
to look him in the eye.  
  
He heard his footsteps retreating down the courtyard  
  
path, whistling a tune of the Weirding Sisters as he went, leaving  
  
Severus to reflect indefinitely. Hearing a few students  
  
approaching, Severus left the courtyard quickly, arriving at the  
  
lake sooner than he expected. Standing by the shoreline, he watched  
  
as the Moon reflected in the lake, the giant squid nowhere to be  
  
seen. He stared down at his own reflection, deep in thought...and  
  
suddenly, he knew what to do.  
  
* * *  
  
Alexis Zarinsky was moping, sitting in her chair,  
  
watching the students dance with venom. 'Stupid dance!' she  
  
thought, 'And...stupid Snape! So wrapped up in himself...' She was  
  
just about to get up to leave the Hall when Severus entered in his  
  
'disguise,' although everyone knew who it was. She frowned and  
  
looked away, expecting him to walk to the opposite side of the room  
  
and sit there by himself. Instead her arm socket was almost yanked  
  
out when he pulled her to her feet, gathered her into his arms, and  
  
began to dance. The students stared, the faculty smiled, and  
  
Dumbledore's eyes twinkled.  
  
"Severus! What's the meaning of this?" said Alexis,  
  
unsure of what to think and growing more and more embarrassed by the  
  
minute as the students and faculty stared. "I should have done this  
  
a while ago," he said, looking her straight in the eye, "but I was  
  
being stupid. I'm sorry." "I...er...apology accepted," she said,  
  
unable to return his gaze. After a moment, she said,  
  
"Severus...everyone is staring." "Good. Let them stare," he  
  
replied, "let's give them something to stare about." They danced a  
  
little more briskly, and soon Alexis didn't care if anyone else was  
  
staring; Severus was right; they should give them something to stare   
  
about.  
  
Soon it was almost midnight; the dance would be over in  
  
just five more minutes, but neither of them wanted it to end. Then  
  
the last song played, the last half of the song, the last thirty  
  
seconds, the last chords...and then a kiss.  
  
Some of the students saw it, then pointed it out to  
  
others, who in turn giggled and pointed it out. Soon the entirety  
  
of the Great Hall was either giggling, looking away, staring with  
  
shock, or trying to leave the room for embarrassment. To the  
  
onlookers, the kiss lasted forever; to the partakers, it lasted not  
  
long enough. They were rudely interrupted by McGonagall, who gave  
  
Severus a sound thump on the head, "Severus! Such behavior in front  
  
of the students! And Professor Zarinsky! I'm ashamed of you both!"  
  
"I..."  
  
"We..."  
  
"...accident..."  
  
"...didn't mean to..."  
  
McGonagall raised a hand, "I don't want to hear it,  
  
just make sure it doesn't happen again! I wouldn't be surprised if  
  
Albus came down here and gave you both something to think about!"   
  
Dumbledore, however, was clearly amused by their behavior, and  
  
didn't move from his seat, giving McGonagall thin ice to stand on.   
  
"Well!" she huffed, "If you're going to...to do...that, then go do  
  
it somewhere in the privacy of your quarters! I mean, not in your  
  
quarters! Somewhere else! Just...oh you know what I mean! Not in  
  
front of the students!" "Yes, Minerva, of course," said Severus,  
  
nodding his head, "won't happen again. I promise."  
  
McGonagall stormed off in a huff to the High Table  
  
where she chewed out Dumbledore for not supporting her in her time  
  
of need, whilst Severus and Alexis were left in the crowd of staring  
  
students. Someone in the very back let out a long whistle and  
  
everyone laughed; both of them grew embarrassed and exited the Great  
  
Hall quickly, leaving the students behind, although the moment the  
  
doors shut there was a great burst of laughter. "Well," said  
  
Severus, turning to Alexis, "I...sorry." "Don't be sorry," she  
  
said, "I enjoyed it." He smiled, "So did I." "Care to walk me to  
  
my room?" she asked. "Of course," he replied, escorting her up the   
  
stairs.  
  
"So."  
  
"Well."  
  
"Yes."  
  
Severus stopped and turned to Alexis, "I'm sorry I  
  
didn't understand it sooner, but I love you." Alexis smiled, "What  
  
took you so long?" He shrugged half-heartedly, "I don't know. But  
  
I finally realized tonight that I'd been acting very...very  
  
stupidly." "What made you realize that?" asked Alexis as they  
  
continued to her room. "A very old friend," said Severus, "he  
  
helped me realize that I am the worst and the best type of person."   
  
She smiled, "I could have told you that." They stopped at her door,  
  
"I know," he said, "but he must have said it in the right way. He  
  
got me to understand, somehow." She nodded, "Well...goodnight,  
  
Severus," she said, stepping through the door. "Goodnight Alexis,"  
  
he said, watching her disappear behind the door.  
  
Sir Cadogan watched from his portrait with interest,  
  
"What business have ye in this hall, ye scurvy dog?!" jabbing his  
  
lance at Severus not at all menacingly. Severus only looked up at  
  
him with a smile, "None of your business." "Well!" said Cadogan,  
  
watching Severus walk away with a slight spring in his step. 


	5. Reflections

The next day, when Severus awoke, he felt that he had  
  
been dreaming; he'd never had such a wonderful night before. He sat  
  
up and stretched, thinking about his 'disguise.' He looked in the  
  
mirror, "Time for you to go, old friend. No more greasiness, no  
  
more yellow teeth...just me." His reflection simply stared back at  
  
him, although the mirror said, "It's about time! Humph!"  
  
* * *  
  
The following Monday brought interesting reactions from  
  
the student body when they realized that this was Severus' true  
  
form. He had more attention during Potions than he had ever had in  
  
his entire teaching career, especially from the female students.   
  
They also noted that his temper wasn't as foul as usual; he had  
  
seemed to tone it down since his time at the dance. He was,  
  
however, far from docile; Gryffindor still lost the usual amount of  
  
points, whilst Slytherin gained profitably.  
  
That afternoon Severus was rounding a corner when  
  
someone knocked into him painfully, "Ouch!" he roared as he fell to  
  
the ground. He looked to see who it was to discover Hermione  
  
Granger over him saying, "Oh! Terribly sorry Professor! Didn't  
  
mean to-" "Ten points from Gryffindor now get out of here!" he  
  
shouted, rubbing his stomach sorely as he stood up. 'Stupid  
  
Gryffindors,' he thought as he walked away; then he noticed that  
  
Parvati Patil and Lavender Brown were watching from around a corner,  
  
giggling at Hermione. He stopped, thought about what had happened;  
  
somehow, he knew that they had dared her to run into him. "What're  
  
you two doing?!" he snarled down at them, taking them by surprise.   
  
"N-N-Nothing, Professor," said Parvati, "just...er...nothing."   
  
"You're up to something," he snapped, "get out of here. Ten points  
  
from Gryffindor!"  
  
The two girls hastened down the hall quickly, trying to  
  
stifle giggles as they went. 'If I can just get Dumbledore to  
  
outlaw giggling in the hall my life would be great,' he thought,  
  
storming down to the Great Hall.  
  
* * *  
  
The next few weeks passed quickly, and before anyone  
  
knew it, Christmas was almost upon them. Unfortunately for  
  
everyone, however, Dumbledore wanted to do a talent show followed by  
  
another Yule Ball. "Albus," said McGonagall during a staff meeting,  
  
"aren't you being just a little...voracious, with all these special  
  
events?" "Not at all, Minerva, not at all," he said, "because this  
  
is a very important year." He would not explain it any further than  
  
that, so the staff gave up. "Besides," said Sibyl Trelawney  
  
mistily, "the Fates predict that many good things will come of these  
  
events." "I got your Fates right here," muttered Severus to  
  
himself, balling up a fist. Only Alexis, who was seated next to  
  
him, heard it, and she stifled a laugh, turning it quickly into a   
  
cough.  
  
"Now," said Dumbledore, "back to the talent show. I  
  
would like for each of the teachers to participate in some way..."   
  
The entire room groaned, and Severus sank down in his seat about a  
  
foot, supporting his head with one hand. "Now I'm sure all of you  
  
have a talent...that doesn't relate to your subject," added  
  
Dumbledore. "What?!" shouted Vector, "We have to do something that  
  
doesn't relate to our subject?!" "Of course," said Dumbledore.   
  
"WHY?!" shouted Vector, standing up. Dumbledore stiffened, "Because  
  
it'll be good for you." Vector sat down with a moan of horror,  
  
putting her head in her hands. "Now," said Dumbledore, "I suggest  
  
you come up with something soon, because it will be at the end of  
  
this week. That is all; thank you."  
  
The staff meeting adjourned with much huff and anger, a  
  
few of the teachers nearly running from the room. Severus and  
  
Alexis, however, continued to sit, too depressed to move. "I don't  
  
do anything," said Alexis, "I have no talents." "Me neither," said  
  
Severus, "except for making potions and casting spells." For a  
  
moment, they were both quiet, then, "I suppose I could sing," said  
  
Alexis, "but I haven't sung in years. My voice would be pretty  
  
coarse." "I'd sooner shoot myself than sing," he said out loud, "I  
  
mean, so far as my voice goes." She shrugged, "Well, how are you  
  
going to get out of it then?" He shook his head, "I don't know..."  
  
Suddenly Alexis perked up, "Hey! Do you play piano?"   
  
He narrowed his eyes at her, "Yes, why?" "Then be my accompanist!   
  
That's a great idea!" she said, "It'll get us both out of it!"   
  
Severus thought about it seriously for a minute; everyone's eyes  
  
would be on her for most of the performance anyway... "Alright,  
  
done deal," he said, "let's just hope this goes over smoothly..."  
  
* * *  
  
Severus and Alexis were snogging in a closet near the  
  
Great Hall when they heard their names being called over the Magical  
  
Megaphone; they had, ironically enough, won first place in the  
  
talent show. "Oh bloody hell," muttered Severus as they opened the  
  
doors to the Hall and stepped inside. A roar of applause met them  
  
as they received their trophy, which Severus already knew he'd be  
  
hiding somewhere in a cardboard box at home in the dungeons of his  
  
mansion. "Can we get off stage now?" said Alexis through gritted  
  
teeth as they both smiled politely at the audience. "I don't know,  
  
let's try for it," said Severus; they both left quickly, and no one  
  
forced them back on stage. "So," said Alexis, "what now?" Severus  
  
shrugged, "Throw away the trophy and go back to the closet?"   
  
"Sounds good!" said Alexis.  
  
* * *  
  
Christmas break went by too quickly (especially the  
  
Yule Ball; it didn't last long enough,) so far as Severus and Alexis  
  
were concerned; having the whole castle to themselves, all they did,  
  
for the most part, was sit and talk to each other for hours on end.   
  
For the both of them, it was refreshing and wonderful, and by the  
  
end of break, both of them were falling deeper in love.  
  
It was only when Dumbledore called them both up to his  
  
office that they realized Life was not as wonderful as it seemed.   
  
"I have news for the both of you," he said, "and it may be...rather  
  
difficult for you to...accept." Severus and Alexis did not look at  
  
each other; they both already knew, intuitively, what they were  
  
thinking. "I have received word from a very good, reliable friend  
  
of mine that Voldemort has somehow managed to return," said  
  
Dumbledore. Alexis looked down at the floor, her heart dropping  
  
into her stomach. Severus's face grew whiter, but he said nothing,  
  
so Dumbledore continued.  
  
"Although there is little we can do to root him out of  
  
hiding, being as well-concealed as he is, the best we can do is  
  
alert the Ministry, as well as keep the grounds on a tighter lock  
  
down. Normally, I would not tell anyone else of this matter, but  
  
since there are a select few of you who have had such involvement  
  
with Voldemort that I thought it best to reveal this to you and you  
  
alone." There was a moment of silence, then, "I hope that neither  
  
of you will conduct yourselves in an irrational manner." Severus  
  
and Alexis both knew what that meant; in other words, don't go back  
  
to Voldemort pretending to be a spy. Don't get yourself killed.  
  
"That is all," said Dumbledore, "thank you for  
  
responding to my summons so quickly." Alexis and Severus both left  
  
in silence, neither of them saying a word as they walked down the  
  
stone steps. Alexis followed Severus down to the dungeon, and they  
  
were completely silent until he closed the door. "What the hell?"  
  
said Alexis, "The sonofabitch must be immortal! We've killed him  
  
twice already for God's sake!" "I know," said Severus, sitting down  
  
at the desk in his office. Alexis followed him in, mildly  
  
reflecting that only years earlier Severus had blatantly rejected  
  
her in this same room.  
  
"We're being punished for our previous actions," said  
  
Alexis, "that must be it. Why the hell else would this be happening  
  
to us?" "I don't know," said Severus, "but we have to find a way  
  
to...dispose of him permanently." They both sat deep in thought for  
  
at least twenty minutes, not a word spoken, when they both looked at  
  
each other with a gaze of understanding. "Last time the Potter boy  
  
used a spell to dispose of him," said Alexis slowly. "And the time  
  
before Potter's mother used a spell to protect him," said Severus.   
  
"But clearly spells alone don't work."  
  
"So it's impossible to use just the area of Defense Against the Dark  
  
Arts alone."  
  
"Combine that science with another and it might be strong enough to  
  
do the job right."  
  
"Defense Against the Dark Arts and Potions."  
  
"Indeed." 


	6. The Message

Once Christmas break was over, Severus and Alexis were  
  
spending more time together than ever. Suddenly they were spending  
  
hours down in the dungeons, working on spells and potions that, put  
  
together, might destroy Voldemort. It wasn't until a few weeks  
  
later, when Quidditch season had begun, that they both realized they  
  
would soon have to participate in the faculty versus student  
  
Quidditch match. Although Severus had groaned loudly upon the  
  
reminder, Alexis said, "There's no way either of us can get out of  
  
it. We're both Slytherins, so they'll need us on the team."  
  
So for two weeks half of their time, (which could have  
  
been better spent on "the Project" as they had deemed it,) was spent  
  
practicing on the Quidditch pitch. As they both came to find out,  
  
it was not actually a "Student versus Faculty" match, but more on  
  
the lines of a "Students with Faculty on their teams try to beat  
  
each other." Unfortunately, this meant that Draco Malfoy would be  
  
the team Captain and Seeker; if there was anyone in their house that  
  
they despised, it was definitely the son of Lucius Malfoy.  
  
"Now," said Malfoy, "since this is a mixed group of us  
  
working together, we'll need to rearrange the team positions." He  
  
looked at his student and faculty teammates carefully, "Right then.   
  
Bole, you're still Keeper. Ah...let's see...Pansy, you and Blaise  
  
are two of the Chasers. Professors, did either of you play  
  
Quidditch when you were in school?" he asked, almost too politely.   
  
"No," they said in unison. "Ever play on your off-time? At all?"   
  
Again, "No," was the unison answer. Malfoy's face contorted with  
  
thought, "Well then, we'll just make you both Beaters."  
  
Malfoy continued on rearranging the team as he saw fit,  
  
and soon they were up on the pitch practicing. Every time Malfoy  
  
said, "Ooh, nice shot Professor!" or "Good hit!" to one of them,  
  
Severus and Alexis both gritted their teeth. Complements from  
  
Malfoy smelled more like sulfur than roses. Luckily, practice  
  
sessions went by quickly; every once in a while, Severus's thoughts  
  
would drift to the Gryffindor team, wondering how they were holding  
  
up with McGonagall and Hagrid. 'That oaf on a broom,' he thought  
  
with a snort, 'as if it could hold him up.'  
  
Finally, the Quidditch match arrived; Severus and  
  
Alexis both wanted it to be over with quickly so they could return  
  
to the dungeons, but they both had a whole day of matches ahead of   
  
them.  
  
The first match, Hufflepuff versus Ravenclaw, went over  
  
quite well, with Ravenclaw winning the match 280-70 points.   
  
Professor Vector looked quite proud of herself flying around on her  
  
broom, and the Ravenclaws cheered her on as she whooshed around the  
  
stadium spectacularly. "Show-off," muttered Severus; Alexis hid a  
  
smile from him upon hearing the remark.  
  
The following match, Hufflepuff versus Gryffindor,  
  
ended brutally with the Gryffindors pummeling them 490-40. The  
  
Hufflepuff team sat down on the benches looking quite discouraged,  
  
although Alexis saw it coming from a hundred miles away. Finally,  
  
Slytherin would play against Ravenclaw, and Severus relished the  
  
idea of beating Vector mercilessly.  
  
Up in the air, Severus and Alexis defended their  
  
teammates spectacularly, whilst Malfoy flew around pretending he was  
  
king of the sky, once missing the Snitch because he was too busy  
  
gloating. After that, however, he buckled down, and finally he  
  
caught the Snitch half an hour later. The stadium applauded  
  
politely, although they had clambered for the Ravenclaws earlier.   
  
"It's tough being the hated house," said Alexis quietly as they  
  
landed on the grass. Severus said nothing; he knew she was right,  
  
but didn't want to admit it.  
  
Next, the Gryffindors beat the Ravenclaws with vim and  
  
vigor, the score finally ending 320-80. "Too bad Vector's such a  
  
wuss," said Alexis in a whisper, "I can't believe she's crying!"   
  
With Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw now out of the tournament, Gryffindor  
  
and Slytherin were the only ones left. "How ironic," said Alexis as  
  
they mounted their brooms, "that we should be playing our arch  
  
rivals." "Not ironic, fitting," said Pansy Parkinson, smiling a  
  
pug-nosed smile. Alexis smiled back politely, although on the  
  
inside she was grimacing.  
  
Once the whistle had blown, havoc broke loose; Potter  
  
and Malfoy were zipping around the stadium at insane speeds, trying  
  
to outdo the other. Severus and Alexis were trying to hold their  
  
own against McGonagall and Ginny Weasley, who were both the  
  
Gryffindor Beaters. Luckily, McGonagall had definitely lost some of  
  
her old spryness, making it easier for them to hit the Bludgers at  
  
the other Gryffindor teammates. The game continued on endlessly;  
  
the first to score was Slytherin, but then Gryffindor picked it up  
  
with two more goals.  
  
Then Severus saw his opening, and he took it; the  
  
Bludger hit Harry Potter like a freight train, and he almost fell  
  
from the broom, but held on just barely. "Amazing shot by Professor  
  
Snape!" cried the Quidditch commentator, "Wouldn't be surprised if  
  
Potter feels that in the morning!" 'That was the idea,' thought  
  
Severus with glee as he whizzed past the disoriented Potter.  
  
The stadium began to buzz louder with noise as the  
  
score got higher; soon they were 100-90, Gryffindor barely leading.   
  
Someone had to end the game soon, or else they might be playing  
  
through the night. Severus was racing to hit the next Bludger when  
  
the other one suddenly bashed into his stomach; he let out a grunt  
  
as he lost all his air and fell of his broom, hanging on by one  
  
hand. For a moment he just sucked in air, then finally got back on  
  
his broom. "You all right?!" shouted Alexis as she whipped past.   
  
"Fine!" he shouted after her, coughing slightly as he continued with  
  
the game. He looked around, wondering which of the Gryffindor  
  
Beaters might have hit him, then noticed the little smile on Minerva  
  
McGonagall's face. "Hilarious, Minerva!" he shouted as he dove past   
  
her.  
  
Just then, the stadium rocked as if a bomb had gone  
  
off; Alexis lost her grip on her broom and almost fell, then luckily  
  
grasped it tighter. Smoke and flame were all around them, and no  
  
one could see in the thickening black billowing clouds. "Alexis!"  
  
shouted Severus, "Where are you?!" "Over here!" she shouted,  
  
coughing out the smoke as she climbed back on her broom. For what  
  
seemed like an hour, there was pandemonium; the smoke covered the  
  
ground so thickly no one could see, even in the stadium seats.   
  
Severus and Alexis finally found each other, although Alexis was  
  
beginning to suffer from smoke inhalation. "Let's go up! It's the  
  
only way out!" said Severus as they began steering their brooms up  
  
and out from the smoke. Finally they were high enough, (and now  
  
freezing) that they could see.  
  
"What the hell happened?" said Severus, looking down at  
  
the smoking stadium; it looked as if it had been cracked in half by  
  
some invisible force. "I...can't...guess," hacked Alexis; he turned  
  
to her with concern, "Alexis?" The wind blew more smoke at them,  
  
and suddenly Alexis lost her grip on her broom, falling to the  
  
ground like a rock. Severus did a nose dive to the ground grabbed  
  
her around the waist merely feet above the ground, suddenly glad he  
  
wasn't as susceptible to smoke as she clearly was. Hoisting her  
  
onto his broom carefully, he streamed over the ground, (only ten  
  
feet up this time) heading toward the back of the stadium.  
  
"Severus!" shouted someone; he turned to see  
  
Dumbledore, waving a hand at him. "Albus!" said Severus, guiding  
  
his over-weight broom toward him, "What in God's name is going on?"   
  
Dumbledore, for the first time in a long time, looked angered,  
  
"Someone released some sort of a Dark Magic bomb. The smoke is  
  
refusing to clear, no matter what we do." Then, as if responding,  
  
the wind suddenly picked up, and the black clouds separated until  
  
eventually the smoke was gone. They both entered the pitch slowly;  
  
most of the students had already cleared out of the stands, so  
  
almost no one was there to see what was on the field. "Take her,  
  
Albus," said Severus, removing Alexis from his broom.  
  
He shot straight up into the air, then stopped after  
  
one hundred and fifty feet, and looked down at the decimated  
  
Quidditch pitch. The grass gone, only scorched earth left, one word  
  
was etched into the ground in blackened letters.  
  
TRAITORS 


	7. The Smoke of Your Loving Flame

Alexis awoke an hour later in the hospital wing,  
  
feeling exhausted, hungry for answers as well as food. Luckily,  
  
Severus was there to straighten it out for her. "Someone released a  
  
Dark Magic smoke bomb on the pitch, although no one knows how just  
  
yet. Unfortunately, the entirety of the hospital wing is filled up  
  
with students affected with massive smoke inhalation." Alexis felt  
  
her face growing red with embarrassment, "I didn't realize I was so  
  
weak." "You're not," said Severus, "because McGonagall and Vector  
  
are in here for it too. Argus and I also had a bout of it, but  
  
luckily we walked it off after a while." "Lucky you indeed," said  
  
Alexis, "I wish I could leave here." "Just another hour or so and  
  
you'll be out," said Severus, "Poppy needs the extra beds for the  
  
other students hit by it."  
  
They were both silent, then, "Severus...why did someone  
  
release a smoke bomb in the Quidditch stadium? And who could  
  
have...?" She trailed off, realizing the naivety of her statement,  
  
"Voldemort." Severus held up a finger, pointing to the curtained  
  
off area next to them. She nodded, "But why didn't he kill anyone?"  
  
she whispered. "We'll discuss it later," he said, leaning forward  
  
and giving her a kiss on the forehead, "now is not the time to  
  
talk." She nodded, "I'll see you at dinner, then." He smiled  
  
slightly, although it took effort for him to do something so many  
  
years out of practice, "Alright."  
  
As he left the hospital wing, he stopped at the front  
  
door and turned back to see rows of students with smoke inhalation,  
  
all of them either coughing or sleeping it off. He tried not to  
  
grimace, thinking of Voldemort as he left.  
  
* * *  
  
After dinner Severus and Alexis met once again down in  
  
the dungeons, although Alexis took it slow down the stairs. "I  
  
still feel weak," she said, coughing once, "although I hate to admit  
  
it." "I wouldn't worry about it too much," said Severus, "most of  
  
the school will be feeling the same way for the next day or so."   
  
They both sat down in his office, and Alexis said, "So what else  
  
weren't you telling me?" "How did you know...?" said Severus. "Oh,  
  
well, when you've been around as long as I have," said Alexis with a  
  
joking wave of her hand, knowing full well that Severus was eight  
  
years her senior. "Right," he said, "anyway, the part I neglected  
  
to tell you due to student ears is something I hesitate to tell you  
  
to begin with." "Just tell me," said Alexis, "I'll find out from  
  
Dumbledore if you don't."  
  
He sat back in his chair slowly, "There was a little  
  
message burnt onto the Quidditch field." Alexis's eyes narrowed,  
  
"What did it say?" "Just one word," said Severus. "Traitors."  
  
Alexis was silent for a moment, then, "I see." Severus  
  
said nothing, thinking silently of all the stupid mistakes he had  
  
ever made as a Death Eater, cursing himself for each one. "At least  
  
we know he hasn't forgotten about us," said Alexis finally. "Ah  
  
yes, always a comfort," said Severus calmly, "just as we can never  
  
forget him." Alexis peeled back her sleeve slowly, revealing her  
  
Dark Mark; her eyes grew wide, "Severus...have you looked at your  
  
Mark lately?" He said nothing, only ripped back his own sleeve to  
  
reveal a startlingly clear Dark Mark, burning almost as angrily as  
  
the day he had been Branded. "It's never been so clear so quickly,"  
  
said Severus. "Someone's helping him," said Alexis, "someone must  
  
be giving him a Strength Potion and a residence. He's still got  
  
friends, wherever he is." Severus looked down at his arm again,   
  
"Damn."  
  
* * *  
  
Security in the school grew much tighter after that;  
  
Filch was seen barking at students if they so much as sneezed too  
  
loud. The students were also encouraged to hustle to their classes  
  
instead of larking about in the hall; a head count was immediately  
  
taken in class upon arrival, and any tardy student was promptly  
  
yelled at.  
  
The smoke bomb incident also encouraged Severus and  
  
Alexis to work much faster, and soon they were getting in twice the  
  
amount of work in the same amount of time as before. Thankfully,  
  
Dumbledore had called off the Quidditch matches, so they would no  
  
longer have to worry about the practices anymore.  
  
That Monday night, they were both diligently working in  
  
the dungeons when they heard rapid footsteps on the stone stairs.   
  
Dumbledore appeared, looking slightly aggravated, "Headmaster,  
  
what's wrong?" said Alexis. "Miss Zarinsky, there's been  
  
an...incident," said Dumbledore, "and I would like for you and  
  
Severus to come with me." Dropping their tasks, they followed him  
  
without question all the way to, strangely enough, Alexis's  
  
quarters. She opened the door slowly to discover her room had been  
  
destroyed; her four poster bed had been slashed, her belongings were  
  
lying all over the floor, and pages from her books were ripped out.  
  
The three of them entered the room in silence, Alexis  
  
looking around with horror, "Who did this?" "That I do not know,"  
  
said Dumbledore, "but whoever they are, they had access to your  
  
room, somehow." "They were looking for something," said Alexis,  
  
picking up a book off the floor and examining it with sadness. "No  
  
they weren't," said Severus. The two of them turned to him, "How do  
  
you know?" asked Alexis. Severus stared up at the ceiling, "Look."   
  
The two looked up to see the Dark Mark painted across the ceiling in  
  
black paint, the words, "Traitors are never forgotten," scrawled  
  
hastily underneath it.  
  
"How the hell is this happening?" said Alexis quietly,  
  
"How are they doing this?" Dumbledore's eyes looked grim, "I do not  
  
know. But until we find out, we are moving Severus to another room,  
  
and Alexis, you will stay there with him. We'll post a guard  
  
outside your room." "Oh that'll be great," said Severus  
  
sarcastically, "while you're at it, why don't you put one of those  
  
bright Muggle signs over our door that says, 'This room belongs to  
  
two ex-Death Eaters?'" Dumbledore smiled, "Now that I think about  
  
it, maybe a guard wouldn't be such a good idea..."  
  
* * *  
  
That night Severus and Alexis shared a room on top of  
  
Gryffindor tower, the most unlikely place to find two Slytherins.   
  
Luckily it had two beds so no awkward situations would be  
  
encountered. "I don't like this," said Alexis, "the beast that tore  
  
up my room could come in here and kill us both. There's no saying  
  
he can't find us once he's moved." "True," said Severus, sitting  
  
down in one of the large comfy chairs in front of the fire, "but  
  
what else can we do?" "Nothing," she said quietly, "as usual."  
  
This left Severus with the thought of getting murdered  
  
while they both slept. Not liking the thought one bit, he made a  
  
resolution to protect his life as well as Alexis's; stay up all  
  
night and keep watch.  
  
* * *  
  
In the morning Alexis awoke to see Severus only  
  
slightly awake; he was half snoring and half nodding his head trying  
  
to stay up. "Oh Severus, you didn't stay up all night, did you?"  
  
she asked, walking over to him and nudging him. "No, of course  
  
not," he yawned, putting his wand back in his pocket when he  
  
realized morning had mercifully come. "You shouldn't have," she  
  
said, "now you'll be all worn out for your classes." "Oh well," he  
  
said, standing up and stretching, "guess I'll just have to be grumpy  
  
today." Alexis laughed, and even Severus smiled slightly at that.  
  
The day dragged on slowly for both of them since they  
  
were eager to work on the Project, but it dragged on even slower for  
  
Severus, who accidentally fell asleep in his first class. The  
  
students giggled a lot for the remaining amount of class time,  
  
although Severus (upon awakening) chastised them by deducting twenty  
  
points from Ravenclaw. The rest of the day went over fairly well  
  
except for a warning from Dumbledore that they were to be moved to  
  
the Hufflepuff dormitory tonight. "It'll be better if you move each  
  
night, then they'll never know where you are," he said. He received  
  
no argument, although neither of them were eager about having to  
  
move after a long hard day.  
  
That evening they were both working hard when Severus  
  
finally decided to take a break, "If I keep this up I'll  
  
accidentally add a Woad Leaf and blow up the whole potion," he said.  
  
"Fine by me, you haven't slept in over twenty-four hours as it is,"  
  
said Alexis. He nodded and sat down, watching her work vigorously.   
  
After a moment, he spoke, "Wanna get married?" She laughed, "Now?"   
  
"Sure, why not?" "What do you mean, 'Why not?' we're in the middle  
  
of a bloody dungeon!" she said. "So?" he replied, "I was just  
  
asking." "And I appreciate it, but we can't just skip off, get  
  
married, and come right back to work."  
  
"Well...why not?" he said. "Oh come now you're acting  
  
silly," she said, although the idea was gaining appeal, "besides,  
  
what made you suddenly decide to ask?" "Nothing much," he said  
  
easily, "just felt like it." "Oh, I see, so since you felt like it  
  
I'm supposed to say yes?" she said, turning to face him. He thought  
  
about it for a moment, "Yes, that's how I see it." "It's lucky for  
  
you that I like you so much," said Alexis, turning back to her  
  
potion and casting a spell on it. "You still haven't answered me,"  
  
he said after a long minute of silence. She slammed her wand down  
  
on the table, "Oh for God's sake fine let's go to Hogsmeade and get  
  
it over with so I can get back to work!"  
  
* * *  
  
The following morning Severus and Alexis sat down by  
  
Dumbledore, who merely said, "Good morning," and continued to eat  
  
his breakfast. He was, however, shocked to discovered that Alexis  
  
was wearing a brand new diamond ring with 'A.S.' scratched into it.   
  
"Acquire a new piece of jewelry?" said Dumbledore, "It's very  
  
beautiful." "Oh yes, Severus gave this to me last night," said  
  
Alexis, admiring it slightly. "For no reason in particular?" said  
  
Dumbledore. "Oh of course he had a reason. We're married," said  
  
Alexis. Dumbledore stopped eating and looked at the two of them  
  
with mixed thoughts, then finally spoke, "Well! Congratulations!"   
  
He in turn noticed that Severus was wearing a silver wedding band  
  
with 'S.S.' scratched into the top of it. 'The students will love  
  
this one,' thought Dumbledore, eyes sparkling.  
  
Indeed the students did notice; at first it seemed that  
  
Alexis Zarinsky had acquired a new ring sheerly through a whimsy of  
  
her own. But then the students noticed that Snape was also wearing  
  
one; "They'd never..." said Ron, "...they couldn't possibly be  
  
together! Not her and...him!" "It's always possible Ron," said  
  
Hermione, "you don't know what he's like when he's not around us."   
  
"Bugger that, I'll bet he's that uptight all the time! No one would  
  
ever...no...not possible. The two of them couldn't possibly be  
  
engaged!" said Ron. Suddenly Harry and Hermione went pale white;  
  
"What's the matter with you two?" said Ron, "Say something!"   
  
"Look...behind...you..." said Harry through gritted teeth.  
  
Ron spun about to see Snape leering down at him,  
  
"Working hard on your potion, Mr. Weasley?" Ron's face turned  
  
bright red, "I...yes sir! Of course!" "I doubt it," said Snape,  
  
"considering you were just discussing my private life. Twenty-five  
  
points from Gryffindor! And if I catch you at it again you can  
  
expect three nights of detention!" Ron winced as Snape walked away;  
  
"Thanks a lot you two," he said once he'd gone, "for giving me a  
  
warning!" "There wasn't any time to warn you!" said Harry as he  
  
added some leech juice to his potion. "Sure," said Ron, "one of  
  
these days I hope he makes the wrong potion and blows himself up."   
  
"Ron!" said Hermione, "It was your fault for talking about him  
  
behind his back!" "Oh you go on then and stick up for him!" said  
  
Ron, "After all, he's a real looker now, isn't he? You've been  
  
sticking up for him ever since he changed his bloody appearance!"  
  
"Ron you know that's not true! I'm just sticking up  
  
for him because he's right and your wrong and for once you can't  
  
admit it! You shouldn't be talking about him behind his back! It's  
  
rude! And besides, I'd never be so shallow as to stick up for him  
  
just because he's suddenly good-looking." "Yeah, that's Lavender's  
  
job," joked Harry. They all laughed and went back to their potions,  
  
albeit keeping themselves quiet when Snape swooped past once again.  
  
* * *  
  
The rest of the week proceeded without incident, which  
  
Severus and Alexis both found unnerving. "I can't stand the idea  
  
that at any minute something could happen," said Alexis as they sat  
  
in the dungeon. "Well we're close to finishing the Project," said  
  
Severus, "and once we've got that taken care of, we can set up a  
  
trap for him." "But how do we know-" began Alexis. "Shush!" said  
  
Severus. Alexis looked taken aback, "What?" "Let's just not think  
  
about it," said Severus, "if we can just concentrate on the task at  
  
hand without asking the 'if' questions we'll be alright." After a  
  
moment Alexis nodded, "You're right."  
  
"Of course I am."  
  
"You mean you're always right?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
Silence. "I love you."  
  
"I love you too."  
  
"More than anything."  
  
Silence again. "The feeling," he said finally, "is definitely mutual." 


	8. Here is Gone

Thankfully the weekend came, and although they had no  
  
classes, Severus and Alexis had something new to deal with at dinner  
  
the following evening. "If I may have your attention please," said  
  
Dumbledore, standing up. "I have an announcement to make, or  
  
rather, a toast." He turned to Severus and Alexis, and suddenly  
  
they both knew what he was doing, and Severus slid about a foot  
  
underneath the table. "I would like to congratulate Professor Snape  
  
and Professor Zarinsky. They were both married just a few short  
  
days ago!"  
  
Stunned silence.  
  
Severus opened his eyes and looked at the Great Hall;  
  
he could almost hear the crickets outside the windows. Finally, one  
  
of the Slytherin students clapped ever so slowly, and gradually  
  
everyone else began to clap. Alexis's face burned bright red as  
  
Dumbledore continued, "So I'd like to make a toast to the both of  
  
them. May your marriage last long, and may you have many children!"  
  
They both grimaced, and so did the rest of the Great Hall, although  
  
some of them were stifling back laughter at the embarrassed looks on  
  
the faces of their professors. Severus simply put his head in his  
  
hands, wishing he wasn't sitting at the table, wishing he was  
  
anywhere but there. Alexis, in the meantime, also slid down about  
  
six inches in her seat, managing only a small wave at the students.  
  
"That is all, thank you!" said Dumbledore, sitting  
  
down. 'That was more than enough,' thought Severus, rubbing his  
  
eyes irritably. Suddenly he realized that no one was yet moving; he  
  
opened his eyes to see that one of the students, Seamus Finnigan of  
  
Gryffindor, in fact, was raising his hand. "Yes Mr. Finnigan?" said  
  
Dumbledore. "Sir," said Seamus, standing up, "should we refer to  
  
them both as Professor Snape?" Half the Great Hall (mainly the  
  
Gryffindors) erupted in laughter, but the other half (mainly the  
  
Slytherins) knew better and kept quiet. As Finnigan sat down,  
  
Severus noted his friends were patting him on the back; he had been  
  
dared to ask that question.  
  
Dumbledore turned to Alexis, "Well?" She shrugged then  
  
nodded, "I guess." "Yes, well, there you have it then Mr. Finnigan,  
  
now let's eat!" said Dumbledore. Seconds later, the food appeared,  
  
although Severus and Alexis were a little slow on the up taking.  
  
When dinner ended, Severus and Alexis got up quickly  
  
and headed out of the Hall, hoping to beat the students, but to no  
  
avail. Some of them also left alongside them, saying things like,  
  
"Congratulations!" and "Way to go!" which only made them cringe.   
  
Severus almost said "Twenty points from Hufflepuff!" to one first  
  
year who looked overly happy, but Alexis grabbed his arm and said,  
  
"She's just trying to be nice. Let her go." "Oh fine," he muttered  
  
as they went down to the dungeons.  
  
It was some time roughly an hour later when they  
  
finally cracked the Project. "Alexis...I think this is it," said  
  
Severus, looking at the potion and writing down a few equations on  
  
some parchment. "We added the right amount of Woad Leaf and  
  
Nettles; combined they produce exactly what we need." Alexis took a  
  
look at the parchment, "Add the Freezing Charm and..." "Permanent  
  
suspended animation," said Severus, suddenly aware of the key they  
  
held right there in the dungeon. Alexis's face became excited,  
  
"We'll finish the sonofabitch off for good this time!" she  
  
whispered. He smiled, "The perfect wedding present, don't you think?"  
  
Alexis chuckled, then said, "I wish we could celebrate,  
  
but I don't think it's safe going off grounds." "True," said  
  
Severus, locking up the potion and the equation quickly, "but we  
  
could always go for a stroll across the grounds." She smiled,  
  
"Sounds wonderful, let's go."  
  
A few minutes later, they were walking past the lake  
  
together, enjoying the moonlight. "Somehow the thought of a wedding  
  
always struck a different image in my mind," said Alexis. "Somehow  
  
the thought of a honeymoon always struck a different image in my  
  
mind," said Severus with a slight hint in his eyes. She laughed, "I  
  
didn't want to say it, but I was thinking the same thing. There's  
  
too much work though. We can't just get up and go at a time like  
  
this." "I know," said Severus, sitting down by a large beech tree  
  
by the lake, "it's the unfortunate responsibility for those of us  
  
who have seen this sort of a menace before."  
  
Alexis sat down beside him, "There are some days where  
  
I really wish I had never been Branded." "Some days?" said Severus,  
  
"How about all days?" She was silent for a moment, "If I had never  
  
been Branded, we never would have become so close." This time it  
  
was his turn to fall silent, 'It might have been better for you,' he  
  
thought, 'because I'll never be good enough for you.' "You're too  
  
good to me," said Alexis, ironically enough, staring at her ring.   
  
He looked at his own ring; for years he thought he would never wear  
  
one of these things. Alexis looked at him suddenly, "I can't wait  
  
till he's gone so we can live a normal life together."  
  
"A normal life?" said Severus, "Who wants to do that?"   
  
Alexis smiled, and she was almost stunned to see him smiling at her  
  
fully in the moonlight. He never looked better.  
  
* * *  
  
Dumbledore was seated in his office when he heard an  
  
intent knocking, "Headmaster! Sir!" said a muffled voice that  
  
clearly belonged to Ron Weasley. "Come in Mr. Weasley," said  
  
Dumbledore. Ron and Harry immediately rushed in, both looking quite  
  
upset, "What's the matter?" said Dumbledore. "Headmaster, look!"   
  
Ron shoved a pair of Omnioculars into his hand, "Press play and  
  
watch! It's right before the smoke bomb went off in the stadium!"  
  
he said frantically. Dumbledore held them to his eyes and watched;  
  
he saw nothing except for the instant appearance of the smoke.   
  
"What am I looking for?" said Dumbledore. Harry suddenly took the  
  
Omnioculars and hit the SLOW button, "Now look again." Dumbledore  
  
held them up and this time he saw it. He rewound it again and  
  
again, then froze the picture. "I see..." said Dumbledore softly.  
  
"That's how he got the bomb into the stadium! He  
  
figured out a way to Apparate onto Hogwarts grounds! The problem is  
  
that he did it so fast no one saw him!" said Harry. Dumbledore put  
  
the Omnioculars down, "May I keep these for now?" Ron nodded, "Of  
  
course sir!" He stood, "Thank you boys. Now quickly, off to bed  
  
with you, and tell no one about what you saw. I have to speak to  
  
the Ministry about this." Harry and Ron nodded, saying only a quick  
  
"Goodnight!" before running off to their dorm.   
  
Dumbledore stood and threw Floo Powder into the fire grate,  
  
"Severus, I need to speak with you."  
  
No response.  
  
"Severus, this is urgent! Voldemort found a way to Apparate onto  
  
school grounds! You're both in grave danger!"  
  
* * *  
  
Severus and Alexis had been sitting by the lake for ten  
  
minutes or so when they finally decided it was time to go back  
  
inside. They had started walking up the grassy hill when Alexis  
  
stopped Severus, "Before we go inside...there's so many students and  
  
I don't want to be caught by McGonagall...may I have one kiss?" He  
  
smiled, "You needn't bother asking."  
  
For one long moment, nothing else existed but them, and   
  
then...  
  
"Naughty naughty, you'll get caughty!" hissed a voice in their ears.  
  
Suddenly Severus was struck across the forehead and he fell to the  
  
ground; Alexis screamed, going for her wand, only to find that her  
  
arms were restrained by...someone. Severus felt his head spin,  
  
although he tried to stand and fumbled for his wand. When he  
  
finally stood, he realized who it was.  
  
Voldemort.  
  
And he was holding Alexis.  
  
Instantly his wand was out, "Let her go, Voldemort,"  
  
snarled Severus, "or I'll hex you into oblivion." "Oh, at the risk  
  
of hitting your own wife?" said Voldemort. Severus's blood froze,  
  
"We're not married." "Yes you are, you filthy little liar," said  
  
Voldemort, holding her tighter, "Dumbledore made a little  
  
announcement in the Great Hall about you two." Severus's grip on  
  
his wand grew tighter, "She's worth nothing to you. You want  
  
something, take me." "Ah, Severus, still trying to be the hero  
  
after all you did as a Death Eater?" said Voldemort, red eyes  
  
glinting with malice, "How can you possibly even begin to pay back  
  
what you did?" "I've paid my dues, goddamn you!" snapped Severus,  
  
"Now let her go!"  
  
"Tut tut, not a good negotiator, must control that  
  
temper," said Voldemort, "you see she's worth a lot to me alive.   
  
Mostly because she is the number one way to get through to you."   
  
Severus felt his blood roiling as he continued, "And when I'm  
  
finished with her, you'll find her rotting carcass on your front  
  
doorstep. Goodbye, Snape."  
  
Pop.  
  
They were gone. 


	9. Never Losing You

Severus was running through the halls and down to the  
  
dungeons, whipping past corners and faculty members who barely had  
  
time to say 'Hello.' He was inside the locked potions cabinet in  
  
seconds, pulling out their Project Potion and pouring it into a  
  
vial, then corking it for easy removal later. Armed only with his  
  
wand and the Potion, he ran back upstairs quickly, heading out the  
  
door when he heard Dumbledore's voice, "Severus, STOP!"  
  
Severus turned back, gasping for breath, "No time. He  
  
took her. He'll kill her. I have to go..." "Go where? Do you know  
  
where he is, Severus? Do you know how to find him?" asked  
  
Dumbledore. Severus inhaled deeply, "I think so." "Where? I can  
  
send Aurors ahead of you," said Dumbledore. Severus shook his head,  
  
"No, it has to be me. He's doing this to get to me." "Then at  
  
least tell me so I know where to find you!" said Dumbledore.   
  
Severus wiped sweat from his brow, "When he Apparated, the wand  
  
pointed North. You know what that means." "He couldn't possibly  
  
still be using the Riddle house," said Dumbledore incredulously.   
  
"Well there's only one way to find out," said Severus, "goodbye,   
  
Albus."  
  
And with that, he was out the door, headed off grounds so he could   
  
Apparate.  
  
"Goodbye, Severus."  
  
* * *  
  
A few minutes later Severus was standing on old dusty  
  
floorboards inside the Riddle house. He heard a laugh and turned to  
  
see Voldemort standing there, Alexis bound to a chair in the corner.  
  
"So the ingenious ex-Death Eater pulls it off yet again," said  
  
Voldemort, "I wasn't sure if you'd pick up on my wand movement or  
  
not." "Well I did, so here I am," said Severus, angry fire glowing  
  
in his black eyes. "And I'm glad you did," said Voldemort, "the  
  
whole point was to get you here. You see, as I lay on the verge of  
  
death after that last little...incident, with the Potter boy, I  
  
realized that the moment I came back I simply must dispose of all my  
  
disloyal Death Eaters. I made a mistake the first time, allowing  
  
you into my circle yet again. But now I'm disposing of all of you,  
  
because this time, you won't disrupt all I've worked for."  
  
He turned to Alexis, "And would you look at her? She's  
  
so pretty, Snape; what's she doing with someone like you?" he asked,  
  
looking at him indignantly. "Of course, you have changed a bit;  
  
finally decided to wash your hair, did you, you greasy hook-nosed  
  
over-bearing git?" Alexis spoke up, "Better a greasy hook-nosed  
  
over-bearing git than an evil red-eyed no-nosed disgusting creep!"  
  
she snarled. Voldemort's head snapped to her, "What did you say?"   
  
"You heard me," she spat, "you disgust me." Voldemort took a deep  
  
breath, "Very well.  
  
"AVADA KEDAVRA!"  
  
"NO!" screamed Severus, breaking out the Potion vial and throwing it  
  
at him hard. The Potion splattered all over him as Severus  
  
shrieked, "IMMOBULUS!" The Freezing Charm worked perfectly; at the  
  
same time, however, the horrific green light of the Killing Curse  
  
hit Alexis hard. She cried out in terror as it hit her, yelling  
  
Severus's name.  
  
The curse suddenly bounced back.  
  
They both gasped as it returned to Voldemort, hitting  
  
him full-throttle. "NO! NO!" he shouted, his body still being  
  
Frozen ever so slowly by the Potion whilst the Curse hit him.   
  
Suddenly he was immobile; he had reached Permanent Suspended  
  
Animation, hanging in Limbo forever.  
  
Severus turned to Alexis, who was almost crying, still  
  
bound to the chair. He snapped his fingers and the ropes fell off;  
  
she fell into his arms at once, sobbing, "Oh Jesus...oh God...I  
  
almost died! Oh God!" 'Don't remind me,' he thought, never having  
  
felt so afraid in his life. Suddenly there were three distinct pops  
  
around him, and he looked up to see Dumbledore, Arthur Weasley, and  
  
Remus Lupin. "Glad to see you three arrived on time as usual," said  
  
Severus, helping Alexis to her feet. "Is he dead, Snape?" asked  
  
Lupin, looking at Voldemort, an expression of horror permanently  
  
frozen onto his face. "Not quite," said Severus, "the idea was to  
  
not kill him. If you kill him he can still come back to life  
  
somehow; instead this is Permanent Suspended Animation. He can't  
  
move from that state. Ever. But he'll never die, either; it'll be  
  
his punishment."  
  
"I knew you would figure something out," said  
  
Dumbledore, "with two brains like yours working together." Severus  
  
looked at Alexis, who was seemingly hiding, burrowed in his chest,  
  
"I think we'd both like to go home now." "Naturally," said Arthur  
  
Weasley, examining Voldemort with interest. Suddenly Alexis looked  
  
up at him, "Severus...why didn't I die?" Severus looked over at  
  
Voldemort, eyes burning with hatred, "If there's one thing Voldemort  
  
always forgets, it's that Love is much stronger than the Killing  
  
Curse. Of course, he should have figured that out during his first  
  
encounter with Potter. It was Lily Evans that saved the boy, not  
  
luck." Alexis stared at Severus with realization; if it had not  
  
been for him, she would have been killed instantly.  
  
As Severus and Alexis walked by Voldemort's frozen  
  
body, however, Severus stopped and looked him directly in the eye.   
  
It was apparent that he could still see, for his eyes were burning  
  
with their ceaseless red fire. Severus leaned in close, "Never,  
  
ever, call me a greasy git." 


	10. The Headmaster

The end-of-the-year feast occurred not long after that, although it  
  
seemed as if school had just started. Dumbledore stood, "Before the  
  
school year ends, I would like to make one announcement. Many of  
  
you have been wondering why it is that all these unusual events such  
  
as the Quidditch match and the talent show took place. The reason  
  
is this; after fifty years of service to the school, I have decided  
  
to retire." Severus almost stood up and yelled, "What do you mean  
  
'retire?!'" but he held his tongue. "And I wanted to make this year  
  
spectacular, one very special to my heart," continued Dumbledore as  
  
the students murmured dissent. "And although every year here has  
  
been spectacular, this one in particular has touched my heart.   
  
Thank you for a wonderful year, and I hope that you all understand  
  
how much you mean to me."   
  
In an instant, everyone was on their feet, clapping and  
  
whooping for Dumbledore, many of the students teary-eyed. The  
  
faculty all stood, proud to have served with Dumbledore throughout  
  
the years. Severus and Alexis looked at each other with stunned  
  
looks on their faces as they clapped, the same thought running  
  
through their minds.   
  
Who would take his place?  
  
* * *   
  
Severus and Alexis were standing on the platform,  
  
watching the students leave, when suddenly Hermione Granger came  
  
running up to them. "Professors Snape," said Hermione, as they had  
  
come to be called, "I was wondering if I could take your picture?"   
  
Alexis shrugged, "I suppose." Severus frowned but finally agreed  
  
since it would get rid of the girl faster. She stood back and took  
  
their picture, demanding that they both smile heartily. "What are  
  
you going do with the picture?" said Alexis. Hermione pulled out  
  
the finished picture, "Oh it's not for me. It's for you."  
  
Alexis and Severus were stunned when she handed them  
  
the photo; in the picture, they were both smiling, and Alexis was  
  
giving Severus a shove just because. "Thank you," said Alexis  
  
gratefully, looking down at it with pride. Hermione smiled, "It's  
  
fitting. Anyway, I have to go or I'll miss the train. Perhaps I'll  
  
see you around." She waved at them, not expecting anything back,  
  
when Professor Snape called after her, "Granger!" She turned  
  
around, expecting him to yell at her for 'photography' or something  
  
ridiculous like that, when he said, "Five points to Gryffindor."  
  
She almost did a double take, then grinned, "Thank you  
  
sir!" and ran onto the train, Harry and Ron looking at them  
  
suspiciously. "That was nice of you," said Alexis, holding the  
  
picture in her hand with happiness. "I had to give her something,"  
  
said Severus, "because that's an important photo." "What do you  
  
mean?" said Alexis. "It's our first picture together," said  
  
Severus, "and that calls for something, doesn't it?"  
  
Alexis smiled, "That it does. We should frame it. And  
  
put it next to our Orders of Merlin First Class business." "Please,  
  
it's much more important than that," said Severus as they began  
  
walking off the platform. "You mean you don't care about getting  
  
one of those important Ministry awards?" said Alexis. "Of course  
  
not, when have I ever cared about something that stupid?" he  
  
replied. "Well if I remember back when I was in school it seemed  
  
you cared..." "That was then, this is now," he said, "and a lot of  
  
things have changed."  
  
"That reminds me," said Alexis, turning to him, "I need  
  
to get you a wedding present. What would you like?"  
  
Silence.  
  
"Severus?"  
  
He smiled, "A son."  
  
Alexis wrapped her arms around him, "I was hoping you'd  
  
ask for something like that." He returned the hug, then noticed  
  
that an owl was hooting at them from a nearby tree. They both  
  
turned as it dove toward Severus, dropping a letter into his hands,  
  
then circled above their heads. "Who's it from?" asked Alexis.   
  
"Dumbledore," said Severus, opening the letter quickly. Alexis  
  
allowed him to finish the letter, but by the time he was done, his  
  
hands were shaking. "What does it say?" asked Alexis. Severus was  
  
silent for a moment, then he began to read.  
  
"'DEAR SEVERUS,  
  
I WANTED YOU TO KNOW THAT OUR FRIENDSHIP HAS MEANT A  
  
GREAT DEAL TO ME, AND I HAVE ALWAYS APPRECIATED YOUR WIT AND  
  
INTELLIGENCE THROUGHOUT THE YEARS. I AM ESPECIALLY PROUD OF YOU  
  
AFTER THIS YEAR, MOSTLY BECAUSE YOU FINALLY CAME TO YOUR SENSES WITH  
  
ALEXIS. I MUST ADMIT THAT I ALWAYS HOPED THAT SOME DAY THE RIGHT  
  
WOMAN WOULD COME ALONG WHO WOULDN'T PUT UP WITH YOUR SILLY  
  
SARCASM,  
  
BUT INSTEAD WOULD PUT YOU IN YOUR PLACE. LUCKILY, SHE CAME ALONG AT  
  
JUST THE RIGHT TIME.  
  
I ALSO WRITE YOU, DEAR FRIEND, TO LET YOU KNOW THAT I  
  
HAVE FULL CONFIDENCE IN YOUR ABILITIES TO RUN THE SCHOOL. I THINK  
  
YOU WILL MAKE A GRAND HEADMASTER, ALTHOUGH IT WOULD HELP IF PERHAPS  
  
YOU WOULD STOP YOUR PARTISAN POLITICS TOWARDS THE SLYTHERINS AND  
  
LET  
  
UP ON MY FELLOW GRYFFINDORS A BIT.'"  
  
"What does he mean by that?" said Alexis.  
  
Snape continued.  
  
"'SEVERUS SNAPE, I HEREBY BESTOW UPON YOU THE POSITION  
  
OF HEADMASTER OF HOGWARTS SCHOOL OF WITCHCRAFT AND WIZARDRY, ON  
  
THIS  
  
DAY, THE SECOND OF JUNE, OF THE YEAR 2005.'"  
  
ALBUS DUMBLEDORE  
  
X------------------------  
  
FORMER HEADMASTER SIGN HERE  
  
X------------------------  
  
NEW HEADMASTER SIGN HERE  
  
DRACO DORMIENS NUNQUAM TITILLANDUS  
  
  
  
Alexis, in turn, was stunned, "Severus...this...this is  
  
wonderful! I'm so happy for you! Congratulations!" He  
  
Transfigured a quill from his pocket and signed the paper quickly,  
  
then gave it to the owl, who grasped it quickly in its' claws then  
  
flew not to Hogwarts, but toward the direction of the Ministry of  
  
Magic. "To think," said Severus, looking a little light-headed,  
  
"all this time I just wanted to teach Defense Against the Dark Arts..."  
  
THE END  
  
Author's Note: Sequel will be written upon request. It may take a  
  
week or two, though. ;-) 


End file.
